PDP, CPC, CAN Trade Words Over Merger Plan

The Peoples Democratic Party, Congress for Progressive Change and the Christian Association of Nigeria on Sunday traded words on which party was violent and the private jet gift to Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor.

The PDP dismissed the CPC and the Action Congress of Nigeria’s merger plan, insisting that it (PDP) would be the party to beat in 2015.

It also described the merger plan as double jeopardy as each of them was a one-man party.

The CPC said because of its violent nature, the PDP had earned for itself, an appellation, “nest of killers.”

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin, the CPC faulted the PDP’s claim that it believed in violence.

He listed activities, which had portrayed the PDP and its government, as being violent.

The CPC’s spokesman said the PDP government in 1999 ordered the invasion of Odi, a predominantly Ijaw community in Bayelsa State.

Fashakin noted that the community was not in any secessionist plot against the Nigerian state.

He recalled that in 2001, some communities, including Zaki-Biam, in Benue State were invaded, leading to the death of 300 people.

The national publicity secretary said, “In the eight-year rule of the same administration (1999-2007), the Nigerian polity virtually became a sanguinary with the unresolved assassinations that characterised everyday living.”

But the PDP, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, said no amount of attacks on the President or the PDP would shift the focus of the Federal Government.

Metuh said, “2015 will not be decided by personal insults on those in elected offices nor won on the pages of newspapers.

“It lies in the province of the Nigerian people. No matter their Shenanigans, the PDP remains the party to beat.”

He asked the CPC to address its “consistent trajectory of violence.”

According to him, the ACN is a one-man party, adding that the PDP is not losing sleep over merger plans of the two opposition parties.

He said, “While the PDP is not losing sleep over the merger of the two opposition political parties since it is an exercise in democracy and since both cannot defeat the PDP at elections, it is however not out of place for us to point out the major defects of the merger and why Nigerians will continue to reject it as an alternative to our great party.”

According to him, the ACN is entirely owned by Bola Tinubu and brooks no opposition to his dictates.

Fashakin also criticised President Goodluck Jonathan’s presence, when the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, was presented with jet.

CAN, in its reaction denied that Jonathan bought a plane for Oritsejafor.

The association also stated that contrary to insinuations, the CAN President did not ‘anoint’ Jonathan for the 2011 general elections.

The Public Relations Officer of the 19 Northern States of CAN and Abuja, Mr. Sunny Oibe, made the clarification while reacting to the allegation by the CPC.

Oibe said, “First of all, the allegation is baseless, mischievous and orchestrated by the evil minds to tarnish the soaring and good image of the President of CAN in the person of Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor. The reason for all these attacks on Ayo is not because of the plane but because Ayo has been against Boko Haram and had suggested that Muhammadu Buhari should be arrested.

“That is why the CPC is attacking Pastor Ayo who was the only one who said Buhari should be arrested and in an ideal society Buhari should be locked behind bars.”